Document-file.



PATENTED JULY 14, 190 s..

W. 0. GOTTWALS.

DOCUMENT FILE.

APPLwATIpN IILBD FEB. 21, 1903 KO MODEL.

01: noRms Perms ca. mmmuo wuums-ro u. c.

Patented July 14, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

-WILLIAM O. GOTTXVALS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

DOCUMENT-FILE.

$PECIFZCATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0.733547, dated July 14, 1903.

Application filed February 21, 1903- Serial Nb. 144,427. (No model.)

1'0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM O. GOTTWALS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washingtomin the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Document-Files, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relatesto improved means for supporting, guiding, and holding or looking in clamping position the follower or fileboard of letter and document files or fileboxes, which follower is used for compressing the contents of the file, and has for its objects increased simplicity and economy of construction and manufacture, ease of operation and security of locking, and durability in use.

The invention consists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In order to make the invention more clearlyv understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical efiect without limiting my improvements in their useful applications to the particular construction which for the sake of illustration I have delineated.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a file-box, follower, and holding means for the latter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same on line I I, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the follower and locking means, on a larger scale, the clamp being unlocked and the follower inclined. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the rod and supporting means therefor. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line V, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, A is a file box or receptacle of known or preferred and suitable construction, of wood, metal, or other material, adapted to contain papers or files to be stored in an accessible manner. The contents are held on a bottom a between side members a, an end or front of, and a follower B, which is movable in or on the box A toward and from the front a Along the bottom a is arranged and supported in fixed position a rod 0, preferably of cylindrical shape. By preference this red is situated below the top surface of the bottom a, to which end the bottom is made with a recess, space, or U- shaped groove 1 a little wider and deeper than the diameter of the rod, so as to accommodate both the rod and the clamping device, which fits and slides on the rod, as hereinafter described.

15 and 19 indicate the metal end supports of the rod, fixed to the receptacle A.

The follower B is a board or plate, of wood or metal or other suitable material, arranged to fit easily between the sides ct and to be movable along such sides and the bottom a towardand from the part a It is supported and guided partly by the containing surfaces of the receptacle A and also by the rod 0.

4 is a rod-engaging aperture formed in the follower B or in a part attached thereto and of a size to fit freely around the rod 0. A preferred manner of constructing such rodengaging means is to form the aperture 4 in the lower end of a bracket-plate 5, which is riveted to the follower and which has vertical flanges or cars 6 6 and 7 7 at or near its upper and lower ends. The flanges 7 7 serve both as means for connecting the clampinglever and to strengthen the plate 5 at the aperture 4, at the sides of which aperture the flanges 7 7 are situated.

D is the clamping-lever directly surrounding and engaging the rod 0 by an aperture 8. The latter is formed in the lower end of the lever and preferably between side flanges 9, which extend along the edges of the lever in planes longitudinal of the receptacle A.

E is a short link directly uniting the lower part of the lever D with the lower part of the follower. Connections with these parts may be effected in various ways; but I prefer to join the link E with the follower by a transverse pivot pin or rivet 10 and with the lever by a similar pin 11, said pins by preference passing, respectively, through the flanges 7 and the flanges9. F is a long link similarly uniting pivotally the follower and lever at points above the connections of the link F, as by pivot-pins 12 and 13, passing, respectively, through the flanges 6 and 9.

The parts are so proportioned that when the pivot 13 passes slightly to the front of a straight line drawn from the pivot 11 to the pivot 12 and the aperture 8 is to the rear of said line the apertures 8 and 4 will be in a line which is substantially at right angles to the situation of the rod 0, which passes through both of these apertures, that this will bring the follower into clamping position and will hold it there by a toggle action, the security of the clamping being increased by any pressure against the inner face of the follower. To promote the effect of such pressure on the clamping action of the parts, I prefer to have the follower lean slightly forward toward the front a when in clamping position, which is accomplished by properly locating the apertures 4 and 8. Thus when the follower is viewed apart from the receptacle A the aperture 4 will appear to be a little higher than that at 8. WVhen in clamping position, the follower has a biting engagement with the rod 0 at two separated points above and below the rod, so that the follower resists any direct backward thrust tending to move it along the rod.

To release the follower, the upper or handle end 14 of the lever is pressed backward, carrying the pivot 13 to the rear of pivots 11 and 12 and drawing backward and downward the follower toward the rod 0.

The parts are so proportioned that when the latter movement of the clamping means has reached its limit the follower will be in such inclined position as to support the contents of the receptacle for convenient exami nation. Such stopping may be effected by the lower part of the lever abutting against the bracket 5 or by the apertures 4iand 8 reaching the limit of their play on the rod 0. To give sufiicient swing to the follower, these apertures are somewhat elongated vertically; but they may be round and enough larger than the rod C to give the necessary range of angular position to the follower. They may be made elongated by boring them on a line at an obtuse angle to the plane of the follower. After the parts B, D, E, and F are united together the apertures 4 and 8 may be simultaneously bored by one tool, the latter being arranged at the proper angle. This economizes much time in fitting and insures the accurate .position and working of the follower without trouble.

It will beobserved that the same movement of the lever both unlocks the follower and draws it back by a pull of the lever on the rod 0.

Theinvention is not confined to making the rod cylindrical. It may be of other regular or irregular cross-section.

The engagement of the rod by the aperture 8 in the lever limits the forward movement of the follower to a position slightly inclined forward, as already described, and keeps the follower from falling forward into the receptacle when the contents are wholly or partially removed.

The rod 0 may be held in place in the receptacle in any known or preferred manner; but for its secure support I have devised certain improved means which increase the simbe attached to the bottom a by means of rivets or nails 18.

19 is a bracket-plate adapted to support that end of the rod which is at the open end of the file-box. This plate is formed with a central bearing portion 20, which is shaped 'interiorly to fit the rod 0 and exteriorly to fit the groove 1. It thus serves when applied over the end of the rod C and driven into said groove to tightly fill the space between the rod and walls of the groove and accurately center the rod in the groove. The end of the rod merely rests in the bearing 20, which holds it from lateral displacement. The other bearing 16 holds the rod from lateral displacement and also from longitudinal movement by engagement with a head or upset portion 21 on that end of the rod. The bearing-plate 19 has flanges 22, which are attached to the receptacle by rivets or nails 23.

It will be observed from the construction above described that one end of the rod is free longitudinally for slight movement in either direction-for instance, in the bearing 20so that any slight bending or buckling of the rod caused by the action and pressure of the follower will not break or loosen the connections between the rod and the receptacle, but will merely cause a slight movement of the free end of the rod.

What I claim is- 1. In adocument-file, the combination with a receptacle, of a rod in the same, a follower inclosing and engaging said rod by an aperture, said follower having a lever swingable forward and backward in the planes in which the follower is adapted to swing, and bearing on the rod, and two connections between the follower and lever, one of which connections is a link, substantially as set forth.

2. In a document-file the combination with a receptacle, of a rod in the same, and a follower inclosing and engaging said rod by two apertures, said follower having a lever containing the outer of said apertures and two links connecting the lever with the follower for operation as described.

3. In a document-file the combination, with a receptacle, of a rod in the same and a follower directly inclosing and engaging said rod by an aperture in the lower part of the follower, and a lever swingable forward and backward in the same planes as the follower swings, engaging said rod at a point to the rear of saidaperture and having a link whereby it is connected with the file-board to swing with and also relative to the same, substantially as set forth.

4. In a document-file the combination with a receptacle, of a rod in the same, and a follower inclosing and engaging said rod by two apertures, said follower having a lever containing the outer of said apertures, a connection between the lower part of the lever and the follower, and the link F pivoted to the upper part of the follower and upper part of the lever, substantially as set forth.

5. In a document-file the combination with a receptacle, of a rod in the same, a follower inclosing and engaging said rod by an aperture, a clamping-lever adapted to engage said rod near said aperture, a link connecting the upper part of the lever with the upper part of the follower, and a connection between the lower part of the lever and the lower part of the follower, substantially as set forth.

6. A follower for document-files and other purposes having a clamping-lever, two links connecting said lever and follower, and means independent of both of said links for engaging a fixed portion of a file or receptacle, substantially as set forth.

7. In a document-file, the combination of a receptacle having a space or groove in one of its interior faces, a rod situated in said groove, a support for one end of the rod, a supporting-bearing for the other end of the rod arranged to fill the groove around the rod and center the latter in the groove, and a follower sliding on said rod, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of the receptacle having the front a and bottom formed with the space or groove 1', the rod situated in said groove and having the head :21, the plate 15 secured to said receptacle, supporting the endof the rod and engaging said head, and the plate 19 having the bearing portion 20 fitting tightly within said groove and around the other end of the rod, substantially as set forth.

9. In a document-file the combination of a receptacle, a rod in the same, a follower inclosing and engaging said rod by an aperture and having flanges 7 parallel with the rod at the sides of said aperture, and links E F acting between the follower and said rod to tilt and clamp the follower, substantially as set forth.

10. In a document-file the combination of a box or case, a rod held therein, a file-board or follower having a portion encircling and adapted to slide on said rod, a lever which at its lower end is adapted to engage said rod, and two connections between the lever and follower which give to the lever a movement relative to the follower in directions substantially longitudinally of the lever, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM O. GOTTWALS.

Witnesses:

H. N. LOW, J. ALF. HAYWARD. 

